


Rising From the Ashes

by runicmagitek



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Accidental First Date, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drabble Sequence, First Kiss, M/M, Mutual Pining, Normal Life, Post-Canon, Starting Over, Treat, Triple Drabble, implied/referenced trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:55:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25365691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runicmagitek/pseuds/runicmagitek
Summary: “Why are we doing this?”“I said I was going to show you what a normal life is like.”Lio flails at the interior of the shop. Mannequins tower over him, plastered in vibrant, floral bikinis and trunks—much like Galo’s Burning Rescue attire, except not. Lio pretends that mental image doesn’t linger.“What about this is normal?!” Lio yelps.Life in Promepolis returns to normal, but Lio doesn't know what that even is for him. Luckily, Galo is there to help... or make him regret even asking. It's hard to tell.
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 10
Kudos: 73
Collections: Multifandom Drabble 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yuuago](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuuago/gifts).



Sometimes he forgets—that the alien fire no longer lives within him. Simple pleasures from hot showers to morning coffee scald him, but the burns hurt less than the reminder of what was taken from him. But he had no choice, other than fade with the flames. And yet he cannot forget who saved him, who rekindled the dying embers in his soul.

The only one who forgets more than Lio is Galo. Because of course he does.

Hours after their victory, the question surfaced. What was Lio going to do now? Was he going to hang up the whole Mad Burnish gig and settle down? What did he mean that he didn’t have any place to settle down at?

Which is precisely how Lio finds a home on Galo’s couch at his apartment in Promepolis. It isn’t ideal, but Lio doesn’t know what _is_ anymore. For years, he wanted a normal life, to be treated no different from humans.

Now he does. He’s not sure what to do with it.

The more he thinks about it, the more the brutal realization sinks in—Lio never _had_ a plan once Mad Burnish succeeded. _If_ they did. It definitely didn’t involve crashing at his former enemy’s home, stealing yesterday’s pizza from the fridge, and pretending what _happened_ never actually did.

That’s part of Galo’s charm, after all; his oblivious nature colors him in an endearing light. Yet it makes Lio writhe and scream into a pillow late at night. Is he _that_ unaware of his charm, whether it’s his impulsive compassion or his constantly shirtless physique? Or perhaps he’s like that with everyone, not just Lio.

And yet.

Nothing about his current predicament with Galo is normal, right? Damn it, he _wants_ it to be. But where—how—does he start?


	2. Chapter 2

Galo rambles and meanders his apartment as if Lio has always lived there. He smiles throughout his babble, gushing about the local pizzeria he’s excited to visit again, now that renovations are complete _and_ his favorite pizzaiolo is back.

“Have you been there before?” he asks from the kitchen. “Their pies are the best!”

Except Lio isn’t thinking about pizza; he’s lounging on the couch, still processing the part of him that is no longer there and how he can function, let alone live. The thought squeezes his heart and deprives him of sleep at night. It distracts him from Galo somehow and he hates _that_ even more.

“Hey, are you listening?”

Galo leans overheard. Lio blinks.

“What’s it this time?” Lio sighs out.

Galo’s smile fades and his brows tent. “If you don’t like pizza, you can just tell me.”

“That’s not—” Lio swallows the rest down, scoffs at himself. “You talk about things going back to normal.”

“Yeah?”

Lio shakes his head. “I don’t even know what that is—a normal life.”

He looks elsewhere, hoping his thoughts will follow, yet all he can focus on is the knowledge that the one who was supposed to be his enemy helped him, _saved_ him, and was offering his couch—and kitchen and living room _and_ bathroom—rent-free like it was nothing.

Well, now Galo was dragging him off said couch.

“What are you doing?!” Lio hollered, still clinging to the couch’s arm.

“You’re telling me you’ve never been out on the town and just _enjoyed_ it?” Galo tugged on his scrawny legs. “We’re fixing that! Right now.”

Lio loosened his grip. “Right now?”

“How else are you going to know what normal is like?!”

Anyone else and Lio would’ve said no. But it’s Galo.

Of course he says yes.


	3. Chapter 3

“Why are we doing this?”

“I said I was going to show you what a normal life is like.”

Lio flails at the interior of the shop. Mannequins tower over him, plastered in vibrant, floral bikinis and trunks—much like Galo’s Burning Rescue attire, except not. Lio pretends that mental image doesn’t linger.

“What about this is normal?!” Lio yelps.

Dozens of outfits drape over Galo’s bare arms. He peers over his sunglasses and blinks. “Uh… it’s summer?”

“And?”

“I mean, we can’t go to the pool without proper gear.”

Lio’s mouth hangs open. His face pales. “Wait, what are—”

“Unless you _have_ swim trunks that I don’t know about.”

“Why would I have that?!”

“Why not?”

“I don’t swim!”

Galo drops all the swim attire. “You don’t _swim_?!”

“When would I have time for that?”

“Summer, usually?”

Lio opens his mouth again, only to smack his face and groan. “Why are we doing this?”

A hand claims his and squeezes tight. Galo stands inches from him, holding Lio’s hand to his chest.

“Hey, I said I was going to help, right? I’m not going to give up, so you better not, either! Besides, how do you know you don’t like something if you’ve never tried?”

Lio has an answer, but it lodges in his throat. He stares into those fierce eyes; the look burns brighter than most Burnish he knew.

“Alright,” Lio murmurs. “I’ll give it a try.”

And just like that, Galo releases his hand, pumps his fist, and grins. “That’s the spirit!”

After two hours of trying on—and _modeling_ —swim trunks, he wants to burn down the entire block, but he can’t. And when he settles on a pair of black ones accented with pale purple and Galo smiles, he burns for an entirely different reason.


	4. Chapter 4

The laughter startles Lio. Not the crowded pool or the stench of chlorine, but the sheer joy from those splashing in the pool. He sits on the edge of the lounge chair, wearing his newly purchased trunks, and watches. The faces aren’t familiar—no Burnish, or at least former Burnish. For all he knows, there could be. It doesn’t matter, yet he can’t help but imagine— _remember_ —scenarios of the hate and fear inflicted on himself and countless others.

His thoughts, as always, blindside him from Galo sitting behind him and caressing his shoulders.

He hitches his breath, but the touch is different; as Galo rubs into his upper back, Lio bites his lower lip briefly and ignores the delightful chills.

“What are you doing?” he manages to say without moaning.

Galo sticks his tongue out while massaging greasy, coconut-scented lotion into him, only to pause and blink.

“Uh, putting sunscreen on you?”

Lio tilts his head. “Sunscreen?”

“Yeah? Unless you want to burn up?”

“Why would I do that?”

Galo jerks a thumb skywards. “Sun’s out, right? You’re going to turn into a tomato without it. And I can never reach my back, so I wanted to do you first before you did mine.”

“I—” There was that heat in his cheeks again. “I’m doing _what_?”

“I mean, if you don’t _want_ to,” Galo says, breaking eye contact to finish Lio’s back, “that’s fine—”

“I don’t mind,” Lio says and he’s grateful he doesn’t say _I_ _’d love to_ , even if he means it.

When it’s Lio’s turn to rub sunscreen into Galo, he thinks of how burning in the sun never occurred to him—not then, not now. But Galo thought of it. He’s glad Galo has his back to him while he smiles fondly over that notion.


	5. Chapter 5

The pool _sounded_ like a good idea until Lio is standing at the edge and staring at the rippling surface. Kids dive into the deep end while toddlers practice kicking with beaming parents in the shallow end. He can’t discern if his abrupt, irrational fear is due to the swarm of people or the idea of being wet.

He doesn’t have much of a choice when Galo takes a running jump into the pool. The enormous splash strikes Lio and drenches him. Past his soaked bangs, he glares at Galo floating on the surface.

“Come on!” he beckons. “The water’s great!”

Lio sighs. “I can’t swim. Or did you forget that already?”

“You can stand in the shallow end and….” Galo looks over him and Lio tries to ignore how he can _feel_ Galo’s eyes scanning him. “Huh, maybe you’re too short for that—”

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean?”

“I know!” Galo extends his arms. “Jump in!”

“But I—”

“I’ll catch you. Then you can hang on and get a feel for it. If you don’t like it, we can head out.”

Galo’s smile gradually flattens as he speaks. Lio hates how his heart skips. He also hates how Galo has a way with words to convince him otherwise. Like crashing at his apartment, like shopping for swim trunks, like applying sunscreen.

And now it’s about swimming in a pool around people who would have screamed and fled upon seeing him—seeing what he was capable of.

No one bothers to watch as Lio jumps into the water. Only Galo has his eyes on him, just as Galo is the one who catches him, who let’s Lio cling onto his back as they bob around. Eventually, Galo claims a floatation device for Lio, but Lio doesn’t want to let go.


	6. Chapter 6

Crashing on Galo’s couch sounds nice once exhaustion kicks in after hours in the pool, but for now he crashes into Galo, who stops in the middle of the street.

“I know just the thing to end this day!” Galo proclaims, unaware of Lio’s collision.

Lio rubs his face and groans. “And?”

Galo gestures to the ice cream shop with both arms. “My treat!”

Except _everything_ has been Galo’s treat since the beginning. Before Lio can interject, he ends up sitting on the patio and staring down a massive sundae.

Galo told him what it was—a surprise treat, because Lio stood speechless long enough to forget to order—but the various syrups and toppings elude Lio. Gazing past his mountain of ice cream, he watches Galo devour a banana split. He’s relaxed in his indulgence; Lio wishes he could be, too.

Scooping ice cream into his mouth, Lio hisses in air and freezes. A painful jolt seizes him. For a second, he’s not sitting opposite Galo on a hot summer’s day; he’s frozen and comprehending what has been done to his people. It makes him long to scream and burn everything until the world understands the pain he has endured.

But a hand rests over his and Lio isn’t encased in ice, nor does he wish to scream or hurt anyone. Not anymore.

“You’re shaking,” Galo murmurs, squeezing Lio’s trembling hand. “Brain freeze?”

Lio eases the spoon out of his mouth and swallows. “Yeah.” But he hates that lie on his tongue.

Except he doesn’t have to hate anything, because brain freeze _does_ kick in. Actually, he _likes_ the creamy, sugary taste. And what he likes the most is holding a new, cherished memory of the cold. All thanks to Galo.

No, that’s a lie, too—he _loves_ it.


	7. Chapter 7

“Galo?”

He perks up and pauses at the apartment door. “Huh? What’s up?”

Lio stands there, Galo’s jacket draped over his shoulders—because he couldn’t stop shivering after finishing that sundae and Galo insisted. A thousand thoughts race for dominance, all returning to the man before him. The same one who saved him from turning to ash.

They never really did talk about that—what Galo did to save Lio. But Lio knows. That’s enough, isn’t it?

It’s why Lio closes the distance between them, stands on his tip-toes, loops his arms around Galo’s neck, ignores whatever confused blabber leaves Galo’s mouth, and smothers it with his lips.

There it is again. That _spark_.

Lio never thought he would experience it, let alone with the help of a Burning Rescue member.

And now? Their lips melting into one another’s? An ebb and flow that’s more natural to Lio than the fire he once commanded? It’s not about staying alive—it’s about _living_.

They break away, albeit reluctant, and catch their breaths. Lio is thankful Galo doesn’t flinch, but it’s not long until he opens his mouth.

“Wha… what was _that_ for?”

An unwanted chill skitters down Lio’s spine. “I wanted… to thank you.”

“Me? For what?”

“For letting me have a normal life.” Lio buries his face into Galo’s chest. “With you.”

He braces himself for ridicule. Instead, Galo chuckles, lifts Lio’s face, and bumps noses.

“What about if _I_ wanted to thank you? For humoring me with today’s adventure?”

Lio laughs until tears surface. “Is that what we’re going to call it?”

“If you’d like to.”

The apartment door opens at some point. It also closes, right as they ease into each other for more. Lio is thankful he doesn’t sleep on the couch that night. Or ever again.


End file.
